A Western Grebe, originally detected by Alan Trautmann during the annual TASL Boston Harbor waterbird census on February 7, went unreported from that date until rediscovered by Soheil Zendeh, March 11. It was then enjoyed by many birders through at least April 16. Suzanne Sullivan took the photo above.
In a textbook case of the “Patagonia Picnic Table Effect”, birders chasing the first-state- record Yellow-billed Loon at Race Point found not one but two Common Gulls, the European subspecies of Mew Gull. Dick Veit reported the first one on March 13. Mary Keleher photographed what she thought was the same bird on March 26 but subsequent examination determined this to be a second individual. Jason Forbes took the photo above.
A flock of Glossy Ibis, described by several longtime area birders as the largest they’d ever seen and numbering over 400 birds at times, was found by Steve Grinley and Margo Goetschkes to include at least two and maybe three White-faced Ibis. The flock circulated between the Hamlin Reservation in Ipswich, Pikul’s Pans in Rowley, and other nearby wetlands between April 24 and May 5. Bob Stymeist took the photo above.
The best (so far) find of an excellent spring for inland seabirds was the Little Gull that Jonathan Pierce photographed (above) on Silver Lake in Pittsfield on April 29, apparently only the second record ever for Berkshire County. Unfortunately, the bird flew off after being photographed and was not seen again despite much searching by many area birders.
The state’s thirteenth Golden-crowned Sparrow was photographed by homeowner Carter Harrison at his feeders. After Harrison initially asked that birders not come to see it, concerned that the small residential street could not handle the expected crowds, Sean Williams (who took the photo above) negotiated an arrangement by which birders could sign up via an on-line form for scheduled and controlled visits, allowing many birders to see this exciting rarity without overwhelming the neighborhood.
Just a few weeks after hosting the state’s first record of Yellow-billed Loon, Race Point provided the state’s second-ever record of White-winged Tern when Peter Flood (who took the photo above) discovered one on May 8! The bird was seen by a couple of other birders that day, but apparently not re- found in subsequent days.